


Ramen

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, I promise, Loki Has To Be An Asshole To Thor, Natasha Stark is my favorite Tony, except maybe odin who is a shitty father in all universes, no powers, ramen shop au, there are no villains in this fic, urgh i am shit at updating why do i even do this to myself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-21
Updated: 2012-06-21
Packaged: 2017-11-08 05:43:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being cut out of Odinsson Security, Loki decides that he doesn't want to be the CEO, anyway.  Fuck that.  So he agrees to work for Azazel and his ramen shop instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ramen

**Author's Note:**

> ugh i don't know why i do this to myself, I know I am shit at updating.  
> anyway this is based off of [this picture.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5r47flx3C1rrrl1fo1_500.jpg) which I totally did not make. and I have it all planned out already, I swear, so hopefully I'll be able to finish the damn thing? if I can't I'll post the link to the tumblr post where i wrote 2k of unpunctuated wordvomit planning it.
> 
> the frostiron is an eventuality but I promise it happens

"He's had control of this company for so long! Why give it up now?"

Loki laughs at the surprise in his brother's voice.  He's known this day was coming for years, actually, and is deeply surprised that it's taken this long for their old man to relinquish his tightly held control over Odinsson Securities. And seriously, how is this something that Thor's missed?  It's not like Odin (and fucking hell, Odin Odinsson, _what_ a name, Loki's been living with the man his entire life and still can't believe that's his name) _hasn't_ been grooming them for succession since the day the two of them were old enough to understand what that big, tall, shiny building Daddy went to every day meant to their family.  

He says as much to Thor, his tone intentionally biting.

Thor just looks at him with those big, blue eyes he's been manipulating into a puppy dog expression of hurt ever since Loki can remember.  "Do not sound so bitter, brother, this will be a glorious day for the both of us!"

"Nope," says Loki blithely, "just one.  He said _successor_ , not _successors_ , didn't he?"  He grins, straightening his tie by his reflection in the elevator's mirrored walls.  He's got this in the bag, he knows, he's _worked_ for it.  Hey, it's not like finances come _easily_ to him, is it?  He'd much rather be doing something much less structured.  Hell, even managing some smaller business would suit him just fine.  But he showed talent in convincing investors to do exactly what he wanted them to _years_ ago, a fresh-faced kid straight out of college with some of the world's wealthiest men wrapped around his finger, and now he's just turned thirty and is ready for some _power_. Especially in his damn family, where it's always been _abundantly_ clear that he is not the favorite child.

Thor frowns, troubled.  "You think he intends to hand the company to just one of us?"

" _Yes_ ," hisses Loki, annoyed at Thor's obtuseness, "that's why he's told _both of us_ to come, otherwise he could just say something at the annual board meeting, right?"  He looks down at himself, flicks a speck of lint off his immaculate waistcoat.  Thor, predictably, is shockingly casual, wearing jeans and a simple button-down.  For all that Thor is the press's golden (ha!) boy, with his huge, shiny grin and boisterous attitude, Loki's always been the one in the immaculately pressed suits.  

Thor's perplexed for a moment and then visibly shrugs off his concern.  "If you say so, Loki."  Clearly he's untouched by Loki's smug assurance.  Or possibly just blind to it; Thor's people-reading skills are not great.

This annoys Loki more than possibly anything else about this conversation; he's had years of being the younger son, the one in the shadows, having to work harder for Odin's approval.  This is something Thor has _never_ noticed and refuses to acknowledge, and he knows after years of fruitless argumentation that it's a moot point by now and he would do better just to shut the fuck up, so he does.   

It doesn't mean he doesn't add another tally mark of Reasons Why Loki Has To Be An Asshole To Thor.  This list started with "Why does Thor always get to pick the bedtime stories?" years ago and goes through "Why does Odin always look at Thor's workbooks and not mine?" and "Why won't Odin come to my clarinet recital?" and "Why doesn't Thor ever take my side of the argument?" and "Why does Thor get to pick where he goes to college?"  And so on.

It's a very long list.

"Urgh," mutters Loki, straightening his tie one last time and tugging fussily at the hem of his suit coat.  "Can't wait till this is done, so I can stop looking at your _stupid blond face_."

He might say that last bit under his breath.  He doesn't want the full force of Thor's hangdog expression turned on him again, because even though Loki has to be an asshole to Thor they are still brothers and Loki is a master manipulator but shit, he can totally still be manipulated.  Mostly by Thor's puppy dog eyes.  Much as he would like to pretend otherwise.

The elevator finally—finally!—dings to announce their arrival and Thor rushes out, excitement writ large over his face.  Loki follows at a more sedate pace, smirkingly confident in his three-piece suit.  The double doors to Odin's office are open, and Loki closes them as he follows Thor inside.

"My sons!" says Odin magnanimously, looking at Thor.  "I hope you are well."

Thor responds eagerly, inquiring after the old man's health, as Loki waves a languid hand and ignores their conversation entirely.  It's not like Odin _actually cares_ about him, he's gathered by now, and it's not worth interrupting.  The inanities continue for several minutes and Loki just schools his expression so it only reads neutral pleasantness and none of the impatience he's feeling. 

"So!" says Odin, _finally_ ,  "Now, sons, I have called you here to name my successor."  His eyes drift over both of them, casually assessing.  Loki preens.  _I've got this_ in the bag _,_ he thinks,  _I'm gonna run this company now._  

"I know both of you have worked very hard, and I am very proud of you."  Odin is still looking mainly at Thor, and Loki's posture straightens involuntarily.  "However, while both of you are qualified and competent individuals"—Loki has to hold in a snort, because in his estimation Thor is neither intelligent nor competent—"I will only name one of you as owner after me."  He pauses.  "And while your efforts on behalf of the company's financial aspects have been deeply appreciated, Loki, I have spent much time deliberating and I believe it would be in the company's best interest to name Thor as my successor."

 The bottom plummets out of Loki's stomach and he's left gasping as Thor grins his stupid blond grin all over his stupid blond face.  Odin's still talking—"I will, of course, share power with you for a few years—" but Loki can't hear any of it, speechless at what must be intentional blindness on Odin's part.  He's paralyzed for only a few short moments, though, before the need to _leave_ , to _get out_ of the oversized office with the huge mahogany desk and the immaculate view of the city that he thought was _going to be his,_ just a few short moments ago, but which he now knows will never be, for all that he would have been the better choice.  "—and we'll make the transition smoothly."  Odin pauses, looking at Loki for the first time since he and Thor entered the office.  "Loki?"

The disappointment must show on his face, Loki realizes, and he cannot _stand_ letting Odin having even that over him, so he turns automatically to leave.  "Loki, I know you—" Loki's already moving for the door.  He wants nothing so much as to punch Odin in the face at this moment, but he knows, also, that he can't, he _really, really_ can't, so he turns back and rushes at Thor.  

Thor is caught utterly off-guard by the fist suddenly thrown into his _eye_ , because Loki has impeccable aim and, also, training in this sort of thing, and, also, Loki has to be an asshole to Thor.  "Fuck! Hey—" starts Thor, shocked and beginning to be angry, and Odin's rising from behind his desk, but Loki has _had enough of this bullshit_ and so he's already out the door and heading for the stairwell.

 _It's even annoying_ , thinks Loki distantly, jumping down the stairs five and ten at a time, t _hat Thor didn't see that punch coming.  Of course he didn't, why would he think I had any reason to be mad?  Fucking hell_. 

The overwhelming fury at Odin and his _completely blatant favoritism_ manifests itself in a healthy adrenaline rush and Loki makes it down all fifty stories' worth of stairs and out the revolving door without stopping once, even as Thor's echoing shout of "LOKI!" resounds through the stairwell behind him.

Loki hits the street running, jacket flapping and tie streaming behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> um there may or may not be a [planning tumblr dedicated to this fic](http://coatscript.tumblr.com/) but it contains spoilers for the future of this story if you care about that sort of thing and, also, exposes me as a Legitimate Crazy Person


End file.
